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Tired of super sugary hot chocolate mixes? Try making up a big batch of this healthy hot chocolate mix recipe. We leave the sugar out of this dry mix so that you can control the type and quantity of sweeteners (if any) that are added to this popular winter drink. It’s a game changer!
As it goes, when the weather gets cold and my kids are playing out in the snow regularly, they beg and beg for hot chocolate – constantly!
I was so tired of feeling like I needed to say “NO” most of the time. I knew their sweet little bodies shouldn’t consume too much refined sugar, especially close to meal times and bed times. It seemed that’s always when they asked!
I decided to play around and create my own healthy hot chocolate mix recipe, that didn’t include ANY SUGAR.
Now, we all enjoy a cup o’ chocolate at any given time of the the day . . . guilt free.
BUT WAIT – ISN’T HOT CHOCOLATE WITHOUT SUGAR SUPER BITTER AND GROSS?
Well – technically yes. I’m not sure anyone (but myself and my crazy sister) who would actually like hot chocolate 100% dark and 100% bitter. (yum)
SO WHY WOULD YOU MAKE A HOT CHOCOLATE MIX WITHOUT SUGAR?
The beauty of having a hot chocolate mix without sugar already in it – is that you get to now control the type and quantity of sweeteners!
The most natural, unrefined and delicious sugars are pure maple syrup and raw honey – right from their fresh liquid form.
When you leave any processed or refined sugars out of your mix, you can then add in 100% pure maple syrup or raw honey right to your cup. You can control how much goes in there, and find the perfect balance of bitter chocolate and sweet natural nectar – gifted to us from our dear mother nature.
Your body will thank you and your kids will be much better off.
STILL NOT CONVINCED YOU NEED SUGAR FREE HOT CHOCOLATE?
Go ahead and check the ingredients and sugar content of the traditional store bought hot cocoa mixes. They are full of artificial flavors and fillers, and highly processed oils. I loved this doctors informative post on instagram all about these ingredients that are found in the best selling store bought hot chocolate mixes. Give it a read!
INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A HEALTHY HOT CHOCOLATE MIX
With only 4 simple ingredients, you have a delicious bulk dry mix made up for any given chili moment!
- Cocoa Powder
- Raw cacao powder is great! Even better if you can find organic. I like to buy some from Trader Joe’s when I am there. Or this is a great option online too.
- Powdered/Dehydrated Milk
- Add a super high quality dry powdered milk to help your hot cocoa be a little creamy, even if made with water.
- Creamer
- I highly suggest this all natural coconut creamer, which only had powdered coconut and olive oil. Oh, it adds the most yummy coconut flavor note and makes it even more creamy. You might be able to find other non-dairy creamers, or even a dairy dry creamer. But beware – check the ingredients! These can have all sorts of fillers and additives in them as well.
- Salt
- You’ll want to add a bit of salt to help it have more flavor.
If you follow my recipe, this should make you approximately 25-30 servings.
HOW TO MAKE A CUP OF HEALTHY HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE FROM THIS MIX RECIPE
Whipping up a cup is very easy. My kids have been drinking this mix up so fast, and loving every sip!
STEP ONE: HEAT YOUR WATER OR MILK
Make up about 1 cup of heated water. I like to use our kettle, but you could also use a small saucepan on your stove over medium heat. You can also do steamed milk for an even creamier texture and added protein. However, because we have added dry milk powder and creamer to our mix, milk is really not needed. We much prefer it with the water.
STEP TWO: ADD YOUR HOT COCOA MIX AND SWEETENER OF CHOICE
To the hot water (or milk) add about 1.5 – 2 Tablespoons of the hot cocoa mix. You’ll have to play around with how chocolatey you prefer it. Our sweet spot is about 1.5 Tbsp per cup of liquid.
Then add about 1 tablespoon of your sweetener to start with. See if you need it more or less sweet for your liking. Also add a pinch of salt.
STEP THREE: STIR WELL AND ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
This mix dissolves pretty well just by whisk or stirring your cup. At this point you could add in a splash of cream or milk, vanilla extract, or other fun natural flavors.
VARIATIONS FOR YOUR HOT CHOCOLATE
- Add a pinch of cinnamon
- Add a drop of peppermint extract or essential oil for a yummy peppermint hot chocolate variety
- Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a Mexican hot chocolate
- Top with frozen or freeze dried cream dollops
- Add coconut oil to your water when heating to add a silky texture
- Add a scoop of peanut butter! Sound crazy . . . try it! Nothing goes better than peanut butter and chocolate!
- Dip in these sugar free coconut rolls. So yummy and way better for you than cookies, candy canes or marshmallows.
PRO TIP: Mix it all up in a blender or use a milk frother to get a thick layer of froth. Oh, it is so good! For some reason, it also tastes even better in a cute glass mug.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HEALTHY HOT CHOCOLATE
I suggest leaving out the dry milk and double up on the coconut creamer. You could also omit the dry milk and use heated up almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk or other dairy-free milk options.
This is best stored in an airtight glass jar.
If your mix includes creamers or dry milk, making it with water seems to deliver the best taste. You can skip the mix entirely and just warm up milk, add some straight cocoa powder, then your sweetener of choice. Try both ways and see what you like best!
If you leave out the artificial flavors, fillers and refined sugars – hot cocoa is super healthy! Raw cocoa powder is full of heart healthy flavonoids and disease fighting antioxidants. Guilt free hot chocolate, for the win!
Healthy Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe
Ingredients
TO MAKE THE MIX
- 2 cups Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 cup powdered milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut creamer
- 1 teaspoon salt
TO ADD TO YOUR CUP OF HOT COCOA
- 1 cup water or milk
- 1.5-2 tablespoons of mix
- 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup honey or sweetener of choice
Instructions
TO MAKE THE MIX
- Add all the dry ingredients to a jar and mix well.
- Store in an airtight container with a label.
TO MAKE A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE
- Heat a cup of water (or milk)
- Add 1.5-2 tablespoons of the hot chocolate mix
- Add about 1 Tablespoons of natural sweetener
- Stir it all together well until dissolved. Use a blender or milk frother for maximum froth!
- Enjoy!
Notes
This is SO delicious! I have to make it in larger batches or it doesn’t last very long. 🙂
This does have caffeine, though. Cacao, cocoa, and chocolate all have caffeine.
This is really good. I keep a batch of ot mixed up and have given it away as gifts. I just used regular coffee creamer and it came out fine. I used about 1/2 cup of the Hershey’s special dark chocolate cocoa as part of the cocoa.
Awesome! I already have everything to make this!
I forgot to mention my recipe for Muddy Chai. I use 1/2 teaspoon mushroom powder, one to two bags chai tea, milk and sweetener to taste. Put the tea bag/s in a 12 oz mug, add the powder, add 8 oz hot boiling water, mix well, stir in sweetener and milk. The powder will sit on the bottom, so it may need a stir occasionally. Garnish with a peppermint candy cane, but only for on a special occasion.
This is a great recipe, It will replace the full body texture that I got from drinking coffee.
I was drinking “Dirty Chai”, (chai with black tea or coffee), but I have replaced that with what I call “Muddy Chai”, powdered mushroom, (reishi, chaga, lion’s mane), chai spices, or a teabag of Chai with Rooiboos, and pure monkfruit as a sweetener.
There are other recipes for Muddy Chai that include coffee and spices. I will have to come up with a new name. There is a blend of mushroom powders called Mud Water.
I will try your hot chocolate recipe with Monkfruit sweetener. I like the idea of using powdered milk.
For people who are sensitive to milk, but can drink A2 milk, there is a powdered A2 milk on Amazon.
I love your Christmas ideas and I enjoy Mr. Tidbit’s posts as well.
Hi Susan! I loved your comment! I keep hearing about this Mud water and thought it was a caffeinated beverage – but it sounds like you can find it without. I’ll have to give that a try too! Thank you for the suggestion and I admire your efforts to make things better for you too! I forgot about monkfruit sweetener. I’ll have to try that too! Someone else just told me about the A2/A2 powdered milk too! We drink raw milk from a dairy that is A2/A2 – so I bet my kids bodies would do better with that as well. Much thanks for coming by my blog post!
Hi Cami, You should be able to make your own Mud Water, it is rather tasteless by itself. It needs sweetener, spices, and maybe some type of milk., although with the chai spices, it tastes good on its own without milk. You can buy powders of reishi, chaga, and lion’s mane online. They seem to be the mildest mushroom powders. Even a cold muddy chai is good. I avoided powdered milk in beverages, now I will give it a try. The Muddy Chai or even the hot chocolate would be pretty with a peppermint candy cane for the holidays. Raw A2 milk is fantastic. I look forward to any recipes you come up with